"Well, how do suppose we find the elves?" a voice demanded. Everyone turned to look at Trey, who had surprised himself by shouting out a challenge to Landon. Darien, Brendan and Korman gaped at him in surprise from the hiding spots they had chosen. Kate smirked. Even Arowyn seemed surprised.

"Not we, Prince of Dehlyn."

"You, then." Trey said stubbornly.

"Not me, my young friend, but you." Landon grinned his infamous carefree grin. The Council began whispering among themselves.

"Me?" Trey was surprised.

"You."

"Him?" Kate and Arowyn exclaimed in unison.

"You are the Prince of Dehlyn. It is in your blood. You have land in the elven nations, though you have been unaware of the fact. Just north of Kiros. You will journey there, you will carry a message directly from me; and you will absolutely not read it. All you must do is tell them who you are, and who sent you." again, Landon grinned his infamous, carefree grin.

"So, what say ye, your Majesty?"

"Well-"

"I say that Trey is goes nowhere without us!" Darien Cameron dashed around from his hiding spot, a large pillar near the front of the room.

"Darien, you idiot!" Brendan exclaimed, dashing out from behind a second pillar.

"Well, that makes three of us." Korman remarked as he slipped from his own hiding place, a shadow at the back of the room, which was not really a hiding place.

"When did you get in!" Kate demanded. "No one can follow me without being caught!"

"Except me." Landon interjected.

"Excepting you." she muttered, humoring her follow councilman.

"He either goes by himself, or with an escort who knows the way outside of Kiros." Kate told them firmly.

"No, but I think a journey of the four boys together would be good, though. On the one hand, they can travel together safely. It could also be foolish, though. On the other hand, Trey might have to enter his lands alone. I do not know of this, but I am sure that Landon can explain." with that, the Reverend sat down and waited.

Later in the week.

"I cannot believe I had to come with you." Marcus Martell said for the thousandth as Korman bought passage out of Alvilaid. "Are you sure this is the shortest way?" he demanded.

"I got the directions from Landon. It's his map, not mine. And for the record, Marcus, please stop whining. Your father said you were to accompany us, and you will. If you do not wish to be here, then turn around and go back." Brendan said to him as they boarded their ship.

"There is not much for you to do there. We need you anyways. You have been to Kiros once, you said. You were lost and ended up stumbling on the Outskirts there. Perhaps you can tell us what you remember."

"Unless you can come up with something, please stop complaining." Darien added, trying to be helpful.

Feeling rebuked, Marcus did not say very much else the entire ride to Kiros. Trey was very thankful for this. He knew Marcus had not liked him very much, because of Trey's attachment to Arowyn, who was related to Marcus.

Marcus was very protective of girls, especially ones that seemed in need of help or hope. But, Trey decided, it was because he was raised to be respectful of women, especially with his sisters and mother.

He decided to go below deck and rest.

"Trey." a voice whispered. Not again.

"Not now." he muttered, sleep slurring his words.

"Trey, we're getting off the ship." It was Korman. "What? How? Why so s--oww!" Trey had sat bolt up, hitting his head on the top of the crude bunk he had been sleeping in.

Since they could only pay for passage at the last minute, they were given the only rooms left available, which were poorly built.

Trey climbed carefully off the bunk, trying not to hit his head again. Korman chuckled at his friend. "Let's go, Trey."

Trey shrugged and smiled, grabbing his rucksack and cloak on the way out.

Their journey through Kiros took at least a fortnight, going first through town and purchasing food and supplies for their journey into the woods, then staying for two nights at an inn to rest. There was, also, already some interesting to tell at home as well.

The rest of their journey was through the woods, eleven days of traveling through dense brush during the day, and resting in comfort and silence at night, each boy taking turns to watch. Game was plentiful, as Kiros is famous for it, and the boys were rarely hungry.

On the twelfth day, as they were rising to resume their journey, Darien woke up to arrows knocked in their bows, pointing at him and his friends.

His first thought was he was still sleeping, that he was imagining the men with bows and arrows.

His second thought was to scream.

But, his third thought, the one he usually relied on to come, was to lean over and wake up Korman. Despite Marcus knowing the Kirosian forests, and the mission belonging to Trey especially, Korman was the one he trusted the most, the leader. So, he leaned slowly across Marcus to wake up Korman, who reacted quickly by waking Trey and the others.

Trey immediately grabbed Landon's letter out of his rucksack and spoke some words in Elvish to a woman who was without a bow. "I am Trey Virden, Heir to Dehlyn. I have word from Landon of Alvilaid, of urgency. You cannot refuse my entrance."

Author guidance

The three lands of Soori are Kiros, where forests are plentiful and game is inviting; Alvilaid, the trading center and sailors home, and Dehlyn, the Land of the King. For almost thirty years, King James Virden has ruled his lands with skill and cunning, mercy and honor. But that all changed when the Norwans began to launch a secret attack, and...

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